


Life is Change

by orphan_account



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Character Death, Character Death In Dream, Fainting, Future Technology, Gen, Life Is Strange Spoilers, My First Fanfic, Other, Post-Canon, Post-Save Arcadia Bay Ending, Suicidal Thoughts, Technology, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Time travel technology, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:34:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21681031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Walking through the junkyard reminded her of Chloe. But she couldn’t let herself think about that. Couldn’t let herself trigger yet another memory. She knew what would happen if she did. For each memory she trigged, her chance of getting home became slimmer and slimmer. She would before long, lose herself completely. That was the price when you time travel. That was the price it cost going into that machine. But what other choice had she been given.(On stand-by till future notice. Between corona and everything in my personal life I can't get myself to writing. I'm not sure what the future for this specific fan-fiction will be in the long run. If I choose to stop it, I will come with a somewhat detailed description of my ideas and plans and allow everyone to use my ideas to write their own fan-fiction if anyone wants, with feel creative freedom ofc. - Dorthea).
Kudos: 6





	1. A new beginning

To understand what I’m about to tell you, you must do something first. You must believe in the impossible with all your heart, and if you ever doubt it’s time for you to leave.  
My story starts October 2013, I was just standing there in the hallway on Blackwell academy when I heard a gunshot from the girl’s bathroom, and suddenly everything around me was going backwards. Only I wasn’t affected by the time change. At least, so I thought back then.  
As the week evolved it would turn more and more crazy. The birds fell from the sky, and whales got stuck at the beaches. Mr. Jefferson my photography teacher was caught by the police, he had a whole darkroom together with Nathen out in the forest. They had been taking pictures for months of girls who couldn’t fight them. Girls like Rachel and Kate, who both was buried at the end of the week. Poor Kate.  
The week ended with a giant storm that threated with destroying the city. I was at the junkyard hiding in the old ship there when time yet again went backwards. Only this time it wasn’t just a moment or a day. It was a whole week.  
In the new version of the week there was killed a girl in the bathroom, leading to the arrest of Mr. Jefferson much sooner. Kate was alive and well. And Rachel was found buried in the junkyard that same afternoon.  
Only I seemed to remember the original timeline, I was wrong. I was very, very wrong.

“Hey Max, are you feeling okay?” I looked at Max who was starting out into the thin air looking paler than ever before and bleeding from her nose. I let my hand on her shoulder to show her I was right there. She looked up onto my eyes with a confused and panicked look.  
“I’m fine” she said quickly and guided her eyes down on the dairy laying open in front of her “Just still a little choked about what happened in the bathroom last week”. A tear fell on the open book. I pulled out the chair next to her out and sat down desperately trying to get eye contact with her.  
“You knew Chloe well, didn’t you” I asked carefully as I touched Max’s hand that was laying on the table holding on to her pencil for dear life. She didn’t answer.  
I carefully took the pencil out of her hand and placed it on the table. She looked at me, with red tearful eyes. I leaned over to her, laid my arms around her, as she started to cry over my shoulder.  
“It will be okay Max, I understand you. I know how hard it is to lose someone close to you. If you need anything just ask okay” I placed both my hands on her shoulders and pushed her out so I could get eye contact with her. It was my job as her “support friend” as Blackwell called it, to make sure she was feeling okay and wasn’t going to try anything stupid. Blackwell had put the system in place after all the happened the week before. Everyone was offered a talk with a therapist, or to join a group that would have a talk twice a week. Max hadn’t chosen any of them, and therefor Blackwell had started to worry about her. And that’s when I came into the picture, as I had the seem schedule as Max. They had then put us together, so Max had someone she could trust, just in case.  
“I’m fine I said” Max said again with a thin voice, a whisper.  
“Alright Max, I just wanted to make sure. You seemed a little….” I said as Max quickly got up from her chair and screamed “I’M FINE! DON’T YOU GET IT! AND YOU WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M GOING THOUGHT”. Her head had turned completely red, but she calmed down as soon as she realized whole the class was looking now. She just ran out the door.  
I quickly pulled Max’s stuff together and took hers and my own bags with me I too left the class with quick steps. Only stopping for a second to get eye contact with the art teacher who knotted.

I quickly checked Max’s usual hiding spot in the bathroom behind the stalls. It was where David had found her after Chloe had been killed only a few meters away. Max hid there a lot to cry, as no one really used the bathroom on school ground, but would run to the dorms or keep it in till they got home. At least, that’s what most people did.  
There of course where a small handful of the popular kids who often in a panic would run there. Only to put a new layer of pink, glittery lipstick on their broken, sad lips.  
When I turned the corner in the bathroom, I was chock not to find Max.  
Instead, in front of me was the most beautiful, blue butterfly. The bathroom door was quickly opened by Max, who didn’t seem to notice me at all. She stared at herself in the mirror, and then open for the cold water and splashed in her face. She took at picture out of her massager bag, wait… I have Max’s bag?  
The picture fell to the ground, and right then the butterfly flew out in front of her.  
“When one door closes, another opens” Max said to herself as she pulled out her camera and snapped a shot of the butterfly. Then Nathen and then Chloe came in the door screaming at each other and then he pulled the gun and pulled the trigger. And then Max, Chloe and Nathen faded away.  
“WHAT THE ACTULLY HELL” I screamed, hoping to get an answer. What had I just seen? How had I just seen that? But ofc I didn’t get an answer.  
I stormed out the bathroom and out thought the front door. I ran to the dorms, hoping to find Max there both for hers and my sack. I knew my feet would make a wet slappy sound as they hit the wet pavement. I knew my breathing was all over the place, but I didn’t hear it. Everything was just scary quiet.  
As I pulled up the door to the dorms I ran into David, headfirst and stumbled onto the ground. David looked shocked at me and then gave me a hand and pulled me up from the dirty floor.  
“Sorry” I whispered while looking down into the floor. “I was just busy. Max left class very suddenly”.  
“Just be more careful next time” he grumped as he walked out the door, that slammed behind him. And I turned around and walked down the hallway till I got to the room at the end, Max’s room. I knocked carefully on the door, but when I didn’t get an answer, I pushed it open.  
On the other side I was greeted by a disgusting smell of molded bananas. The floor was covered in a billion different gray colored hoodies, jeans and t-shirts. Max’s plant was a dead as a fish in the dessert and her guitar was bent and had a least 2 broken strings. Her walls where filled with paper about time travel, and superpowers. Pictures and quotes from movies and books were all put in places with its own piece of blue tag.  
In the middle of the mess, Max sat franticly looking thought a book. She was clearly searching for something. When she noticed me, she stopped, she froze, then preceded to lift her right hand into the air and focused. I felt a rush go thought my body, as everything once again started to go backwards. Like I told you I am not affect by it, and I thought I was the only one. I was wrong. Max let her hand fall into har lap and stared at me with big confused eyes, and blood started to drip from her nose.  
“Max, Echo. Should you two be in class” David asked. I almost jumped into the air from the shock. Max just stared at David, as a tear fell down her face. She quickly dried her eyes with her hoodie sleeve.  
“I’m sorry David. Max didn’t feel well and asked me to follow her to her dorm” I answered hoping the lie wasn’t obvious. He looked at us both for a second, then turned around and walked to the front door.  
“When you’re here anyways, can you please help Max clean up her room. It smells like someone pooped in there” he said and walked out the door.  
Max jumped on her feet, pulled me to her room and locked the door behind us. She grabbed a little soft, rubber ball and let her hands play with it as she in a panic walked back and fort in the room. I stepped in and placed my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look into my eyes. Her hands stopped.  
“Max, WHAT WAS THAT” I asked and then I let go of her shoulders as let myself slid to the floor with my bag against her wall. She pulled out the chair from her table, once again stimming with the ball in her hands and eyes looked to the floor.  
“Echo… I need your help” she said. I just stared in disbelief at her. Max once again lifted her hand, but I couldn’t see her face this time.  
A headache suddenly struck, and everything went black.


	2. Blackout

Suddenly the disgusting smell was gone. Max’s floor was clean. And the walls where decorated with posters and pictures. On the wall next to her bed there was a whole picture collage. Max was stating and watching it with her back to me. A clicked noise sounded from right behind me, then Max walked thought me and took the picture from the camera and trashed it. On the picture stood Max in the foreground, blurred out. The background which was the focus on the picture was filled with amazing picture, Max had taken throughout her life. In one of the main weird timelines that had been that week, Max had won the everyday hero contest with that photo, it was also the photo she trashed in the bathroom the same day as Chloe was killed.  
The clean room, Max and the photo started to fade away again. In the distant I heard a muffled scream; it was Max calling out for me. I felt her hands on my body, shaking me lightly in hopes I would wake up.  
I carefully opened my eyes, and when I did mine meet Max’s. Max quickly let go and moved a little away so I could get up. I carefully used my right arm to push myself up.  
“I must have blackout” I said, with a careful smile. “I hope I wasn’t too much trouble”. I looked as Max, trying to read her reaction to what just happened. She didn’t seem disturbed.  
“It’s cool. I used to blackout in the beginning too when I just got my powers” she said quickly and smiled back.  
“Your powers?” I asked curiously. Max looked at me with a look that was very hard to read. She sighs.  
“I guess I’ll have to explain all of this, don’t I?” she asked and look at me with questioning eyes. I knotted. “It doesn’t have to be right now though” I said.  
I used the wall to balance as I pushed myself up and then giving Max a hand.  
“Well, David said something about cleaning. Didn’t he” I said with a laugh and found a laundry basket and started to throw some of her cloth in it.  
“It’s not that bad” Max said with a laughed too. 

The cleaning of the room quickly become much more. As soon as Max and I was done and had throw the last hoodie in the washing machine, we desisted to go to small café downtown.  
We placed ourselves in a small corner booth with wood planks build around making it closed and more private. The couches were decorated with beautiful yet mystical symbols.  
Max got an extra-large cup of Coffee, while I bought a cup of hot chocolate. I had learned over the last year that coffin and I wasn’t good friends. And by the side with both bought a cupcake.  
“It reminds me of when me and Chloe eat of her mom’s dinner” Max suddenly said, while she sat there with closed eyes thinking about the good times before she left Chloe behind.  
“I’m sure you and Chloe where amazing friends” I replayed and placed my hand on Max’s shoulder as she opened her eyes. “Now what about telling me about those powers of yours Max?” I asked. Max looked at me with a confused look and then she realized.  
“Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that” she said with a shy, awkward tone to her voice, “It’s complicated. But I can try”.  
I pulled out a piece of paper and a pensile case from my bag pack and leaned to the bag of the cough. Max look at the paper with a confused look, then at me.  
“Do you mind if I take notes while you explain, it helps me piece it together later on” I said with a smile. Max knotted okay. And then she started.  
“It, all started that day in Mr. Jefferson class last week. I had a vision of a tornado that was going to whip out all of arcadia bay. Friday. Friday last week. When I woke up I went to the bathroom where I saw Cloth get shot, and I screamed no, lifted my hand up in the air and suddenly… I was back in class. I can rewind time…” Max said, then stopped and stared down at her right hand that was holding her coffee cup tight. “Kate jumped from the dorm building. David was fired and was thrown out by his wife, Chloe’s mother. Mr. Jefferson kidnapped me and took me to the dark room. He drugged me. And… at the end me and Chloe was the light tower near the beach… and I had to go back to save the city”.  
“Max. It’s okay. Take a deep breath. Are your feeling alright?” I asked as Max stopped and started to cry. She didn’t answer.  
I carefully pulled out my phone from my backpack and got up and stepped out of the both.  
“I’ll be right back Max. You seem to need a moment” I said before leaving. Though Max wasn’t the only one who needed a moment. I did too.  
I went to the small public bathroom and locked the door so I could be alone for a moment. The stale was tagged in graffiti, painted and written on with a black marker. Probably alcohol marker, as water-based markers don’t do well on walls. I flipped down the cover on the toilet and sat down and pulled my legs up under me. Trying to understand what Max had just told me. Rewind time? Time travel? This day seemed to be getting weirder by the moments. But then again, the week that came before it was even more crazy.  
I was suddenly struck by a dizziness. And lifted my hand to my head, as I started to feel a warm liquid running from my nose. Nosebleed. I carefully tired to get my body to function again but in that moment, when I was in the bathroom that day, I just couldn’t. And before I knew I collapsed hitting the wall of the stale and falling to the floor with my head.  
“Hey, can you hear me in there?! Can you please open the door?” a faint voice was calling out for me. But as it did it became more and more distant. Not again… “Someone call an ambulance there’s an unresponsive girl in that stale!”. “We… hit… the door in… someone… 911”. I lost track of the words. Not again… please… not again… I beg you not again… NOT ALREADY!

“I’m not ready” I screamed the second I woke up with a chock filling my body as I flew up from the soft bed I had been laying on. “I wasn’t ready” I said with soft, disappointed voice, as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and let them hit the ground to stand up.  
“I’m sorry Echo, we got some weird readings from the machine. We don’t understand time travel like Max do, that’s why it’s so important that you befriend her. She can teach us” Alex replayed.  
“Don’t forget about the deal Alex” I said and look at him “I help you learn time travel, I help Max”.  
“Of course Echo, thought I don’t understand why Max is so important to you” he said. I just looked at him and then walked towards the door before opening it and walking out.  
“Call me when your ready again” I called to him as I walked down the hallway, turning into the shower rooms when I threw my cloth and went in under the hot water that ran down my body.


	3. Belgium Waffle & Fried Fish

“I still don’t understand why you suddenly left yesterday. And without your stuff. One second there, next gone” Max said while she looked at me with serious eyes. I myself had my eyes closely locked to my laptop screen, uploading my new photos to my website, and losing track of me and Max’s conversation.  
“Echo are you even listening?! You scared the hell out of me yesterday…” Max said, now in a worried tone indicating that she was scared to lose me. ME the stranger she barely knew. ME the stranger that knew her better than she did on her own. ME the girl she still couldn’t get to fit in to whole this mess.   
“I hear you Max, I just… got a really important call” I replayed looking up at Max for just a second, then back at the laptop screen.  
“So important you couldn’t even say that you had to go?” Max asked, while staring at me. Maybe to make sure I didn’t disappear again. Maybe because she didn’t trust me. Maybe she thought that if she stopped looking at me, I would suddenly stab her with a knife from behind.  
“Yeah. It was Hella important” I replayed, keeping my eyes on the laptop screen. Well knowing that Max in a second was going to storm out of the classroom because of a Chloe memory. Hella. It’s funny how the word had sneaked it’s way into my way of talking just a year ago.  
“You… You know I hate the word He… he… Hella” Max said, now with a thin voice.  
I looked up on Max, who’s eyes slowly turned red as the tears started to flow down her face. And out her nose ran thick red blood.  
“Woah Max. Your nose!” I said, quickly grabbing a paper towel to give to Max.  
“It’s been happening a lot lately… I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom” Max said, as she got up from her chair and walked towards the door, leaving the classroom just as the bell rang.  
I closed down my laptop and removed my 64 gb sd card from the port. And the placing it back into the canon camera laying on the desk next to me. Then unplugging the wireless adapter from my mouse, carefully placing everything in my backpack from Eastpak.  
I slowly got up from the chair, picking the backpack up from the ground where it leaned on table leg. Then walking out the classroom, down the hall to my locker. It was blue like most of the other lockers in the hall and placed right next to Max’s red locker. I wrote the code, 183. And a click sounded as it opened. I threw my books in and slammed it shot before pulling out my phone from my hoodie pocket to text Max.  
Hey, let’s do homework in my apartment later today.  
I wrong in a short message, then putting my phone on vibrate before leaving school ground. Out the front door, down to the stairs. Then right on past the parking lot. Walk 200 meters. One left turn. And home, in house number 6 on the right side. 3ed floor, in the corner apartment.  
As I walked up the stairs, I felt the vibration from my phone as Max texted me.  
I’ll be there in an hour. Is it cool if Kate joins us?  
I quickly read the text before replaying with a thumbs up. Kate was another good friend of Max, and in the alternative reality Max had desperately tried to stop her from jumping. But failed. If I knew Max right, she blamed herself for Kate’s jump, even thought she did her very best. Now only me and Max knew about what happened. Even if Max didn’t know that I knew.  
I ran up the last few steps on the stairs and unlocked the door. In the entrance I pushed of my shoes, leaving them in the middle of everything. And then continued by walking into my living room, over to my desk that was nicely placed in the corner. I dumped down in the office chair that I had gotten from some weird store I visited when I lived in Seattle with my parents.  
I connected my phone to the Bluetooth speaking system I had set up, then jumped on YouTube and pushing the play button. Ashes of Eden by Breaking Benjamin started to play, and I pulled out my laptop to edit my new photos in lightroom. If I worked hard, I could get at least 3 pictures done before Max and Kate would arrive.

**“Echo to Alex. Alex can you hear me?” I hold the button on the small earpiece Warren had designed making me able to contact my time. Making the time travel, somewhat safer.  
“Alex to Echo. We hear you loud and clear, is everything alright?” Alex replayed almost right away.  
“Can I get a small time jump of, around an hour?” I asked. Alex quickly confirmed and I released the button the earpiece again.**

“Ding dong”, the doorbell sounded from the front of the apartment. I carefully got up from the chair walking to the door. Before opening I look myself in the mirror, drying off the blood that slowly ran from my nose. A side effect from time travel. Then turning to the door, putting my best smile on and opening.  
“Hey Max, Kate. Come on in” I said, hugging Max as she walked though the door, and giving the hand to Kate who followed Max closely. “Your welcome to throw your shoes wherever you want”.  
I then showed Max and Kate my living room. They both sat down in the cough while I picked up a few cans of soda from the kitchen. Before returning to the living room join them.   
“I don’t understand how you have money enough to buy a whole apartment” Max said, looking around in the modern looking room. Filled with black, white and wood furniture. The question didn’t come as a surprise, it was expensive. Very expensive. But at the same time, it was worth it.  
I looked at Max and laughed quietly before replaying.  
“I was lucky. I took some photos when I was in went to Paris with a good friend. There was a terror attack, all newspapers and tv stations in whole the world was willing to pay extremely well to get good pictures” I smiled at them, while handing them each a soda can.  
“If just I could be that good I wouldn’t depend on a scholarship” Kate said and sigh.  
We all pulled out our computers and started working on the report, with the topic copyright. It had to be done in a few weeks, but it seemed all three of us just wanted to get done with it and forget about it. A classic young adult, having better things to do. 

“Huh, did you guys know there are no such thing as fair use in Europe?” Max suddenly said while looking up from her computer screen trying to read our reactions.  
“I think I read about it once” Kate said, quietly. Not removing her eyes from the screen, “Aren’t you guys hungry. Let’s, go cook something”.  
“That sound like a really good idea Kate, I probably have some fish in the fridge” I said and closed my laptop slightly and placed it on the small coffee table next in front of us.  
“We could make a Belgium Waffle & Fried Fish, like those on the two whales diner” Max blurred out quickly, yet clearly. We all agreed and walking out into the kitchen.  
I google the recipe on my phone, and we started.  
3/4 cup of flour. 1 pound of fish. 1/4 cup of hot source. 1 large egg, lightly beaten. 2 scallions, sliced. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter. And vegetable oil, for shallow frying.  
The amazing smell soon felt whole the kitchen. While the fish was frying on the pan, I started to find what was needed for the Belgium waffle. I said it out loud, and Max helped find the stuff in the cabinets. Giving it too me so I could put it in the mixing ball.  
2 cups cake flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 4 large eggs, separated. 2 tablespoons su…  
Halfway though the recipe I was suddenly caught of guard, but the smell of the fried fish the for every second grew more intense. I looked around, as my vision started to become blurry. And the world around me, faded away in front of me. The sound of cooking was replaced by the well-known sound of a busy diner. Kate and Max were replaced with two young girls sitting in a booth, enjoy a portion of Belgium Waffle & Fried Fish each.   
“Your mom is so amazing at cooking Chloe! If just my parents could taste this. They would love it” the dark-haired girl, with a ponytail said to her friend on the other side of the table. Chloe? Where had I heard that name before. And why did these girls look so family to me.  
I toke a few steps closer, trying to reach out for them. But I just slipped right though them. Like if I weren’t even there. I froze, and suddenly couldn’t move. Once again, the diner and the girls faded away. The sound of the people chit chatting was replaced with a constant bibbing, know to be heard in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For full recipe, just replace chicken with fish. IT'S AMAZING!
> 
> http://www.grouprecipes.com/126248/fried-chicken-and-belgian-waffles.html


	4. Secrets

The bibbing fainted once again, and a new room started to build up around me one piece at a time. Becoming more and more clear. It was a small hospital room, that I recognized as a room in Arcadia bay hospital. On the small table right next to the bed a few followers where standing and shining in the sun. Attached with string was three “get well soon” balloons. The walls where mostly white, though on one of the walls a few pieces of paper were hanging. On them was draw small cute characters, that would fit well into a children’s book.   
Behind me the sudden sound of a door being open, pulled me back to “reality”. In of the door came Max. The girl sitting on the chair in the middle of the room flew up and ran to Max and hugged her tight.  
“Max!” she screamed in a soft voice. It was Kate. In the hospital? But why, when? And how did I get here?  
“I thought I’d never see you again. I feel so ridiculous… I’m so sorry” Kate said while she hugged Max close. They didn’t seem to notice me at all. It was just like in the bathroom. And just like later in Max’s dorm room… and then at the diner. The only thing they all had in common was Max. I was seeing Max’s memories. But how?  
The bibbing sound slowly returned and as I turned around the room everything just faded to darkness. Nothing but darkness. Only the sound of the bibbing, and some distant voices kept me company.  
As things started to clear up, I could make out pieces of conversation. It was Max and Kate talking to each other. I could feel goosebumps all the way down my arms, as I no longer was waring a hoodie. And the earpieces Warren had made to help me when time traveling was no longer securely placed in my ear. A panicked started to build up inside me as I realized it. But I was quickly pulled out of it when I realized what Max and Kate was talking about.  
“It’s so odd. First Echo fainted in my room, then she disappeared the other day. And now this. But no signs of any brain damage or bleeding or anything!” Max said almost screaming, but in a controlled way not to caught people’s attention.  
“I’m sure the doctors will find something to explain it Max” Kate said in a calm voice. I heard some food steps next to the bed I was laying in. And a quiet sound of someone touching a piece of cloth.  
“I’m not so sure Kate… I…” Max said but stopped halfway thought the sentence.  
“What are you not telling me Max?” Kate asked with a worried tone.  
“Remember all of that with the video?” Max asked.  
“Of… of course I do Max. It’s the worst thing to ever happen in my life. If Nathen and Mr. Jefferson had not be caught… I… I’m not sure I’d even be here right now” Kate replayed as her voice was growing thinner and thinner.  
“The thing is at first they weren’t caught!” Max said in a loud and specific voice “That Tuesday as everyone else went to class you went to the dorms. When people got there… you where on the top ready to jump… and I fought my way up to you. But I failed. And you jumped… right there in front of me…” Max said before turning quiet. If I could have seen her, I’m sure her eyes was locked to the floor.  
“Max, that’s not true. I’m right here” Kate said, “And if it was true then how dose that have anything to do with Echo?”.  
“Can I tell you something crazy?” Max asked quickly. Kate didn’t replay. But I’m quite sure she noted, as Max started to tell.  
“I rewinded time to kill Chloe… and save the city. To before you jumped” Max said, “And everything seemed to be correct until I went to class the next day. In the front row this girl was sitting, Echo. But she had never been there before, yet no one else recognize the fact that she is not supposed to be there. And then she came to my dorm the other day and, I didn’t want her to be there but had forgotten to lock my door. I rewind a few minutes… but she was still there. Not effected at all by my time traveling. I think she might be a time traveler too... the signs match up. Her fainting, the nosebleed” Max said but stopped as what I believe to be a door, opened. Thought I wasn’t sure. It was only a sound, but I couldn’t open my eyes to confirm.  
“Visiting hour is over girls. I’m going ask you to leave” a stranger said. Followed by 3 set of feet walked out the hospital room. The last thing I heard was a click from what I was sure was a light switch. Then everything went quiet. At the same time, I realized, that what had been before wasn’t complete darkness. As the light had been turned off, I now knew that I had seen or at least sensed the light that was right outside the fine layer of skin over my eyes.  
I laid there for what felt like hours, listening to every small sound around me. As well as thinking about the conversation Max and Kate had. Max had seen right thought me. She knew. She knew every single one of my secrets, or almost. I still had one, and one I desperately needed to keep hiding for everyone. So, secret that before I started my mission, I had colored my hair into a brown-red-ish color, and let it grow to be thought and long. We had even designed new technology to hide my real identity. I was lucky the nurses hadn’t found it and removed the little metal pieces placed underneath my hair. If it had been removed my cover would have been blown, and Max would have known and demanded an explanation. I almost felt bad keeping the secret, but the thing about time travel is that no one can no about it. I had learned that the hard way, seeing the storm form in front of my eyes. And I knew for a fact my life, and Max’s, had been changed forever.   
When there for a long time hadn’t been any sounds around me, I carefully tired to open my eyes. It was hard, and everything seemed to blurry. I was probably drugged with some strong meds to keep me asleep till they knew what had happened to me. Lucky for me it didn’t work. I used my right arm to push my up in the bed. I felt dizzy and almost feel right back down, but I couldn’t allow that. They would hear it and come in to see what was going on. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and let my feet touched the cold floor. Then I carefully removed tubes, drops and other stuff that monitored my vitals. Warren had taught me to do it, without triggering any alarms. I then got up from the bed, almost falling as I first stood up. The legs under me was shaking badly, and my feet hurt. Yet somehow, I got out in the hall and got my stuff from a small storage room, without falling once. I placed the earpieces in my ear again and turned it on, no sound. It must have gotten broken of thought yet kept it in anyways. Before sneaking down the hall and out the front door from the hospital.

“Max please open the door, I beg you” I said quietly, while knocking on Max’s dorm door. I few steps was heard from the inside, before she finally unlocked and opened. Her face was shocked, and she was right about to say something. I quickly moved up my hand to cover her mouth and send her a “not a word” look. I didn’t move my hand before she knotted. She then stepped aside and let me walk into the room.  
“Weren’t you in a medical induced coma?” she asked and kept a close eye on me.  
“Medicine doesn’t really affect me, I just had to fool them for enough time that I could get out without getting caught” I said and looked at Max. “I heard what you and Kate talked about… you know. Don’t you?”. Max looked at me with intense eyes before replaying.  
“Lucky guess. But it was the only thing that made sense when putting the pieces together” she replayed, “there’s just one thing I don’t understand. When I time travel it’s only everything around me getting change. Not me. I’m me all the time and can only back thought pictures. Yet here you are clearly not thought a picture… yet for so long it doesn’t make any sense”. She sat down on her bed and pointed to me that I could just sit down wherever I wanted. And so, I did. I let my body fall on the floor right in front of Max. The feeling of finally sitting down was nice, and I no longer felt like I was going to fall over.  
“My powers are, just like yours Max. But while you only got your brain to use, I am in my time connected to a machine right now. They can pull me back at any time. Make big time jumps. And manipulate time so that no one will notice anything. Unless they are like you” I said, while removing my earpiece and showing it to Max.  
“Warren made the machine and that earpiece, didn’t he?” she asked. I knotted. “But now it’s broken, and you need Warrens help to fix it before you can go home again?” she asked. I laughed a little.  
“No, I don’t need it to get home. It’s just going to be a little twiggy than normally” I replayed and looked down at the earpiece. “But getting it fixed would mean a lot. If you don’t mind asking warren?” I carefully said. She knotted and took the earpiece out of my hand. Before leaving me along in the room to myself while she went to Warrens dorm.


	5. A different view

“Warren, I tell you there is something about Echo that seems to familiar, I just can’t put a finger on what it is” I said calmly while letting myself dump down on his bed.  
“Max I’m sure there is a good explanation to all of this” he replayed “But it could really be anyone from this time period, or any other time period, that has taken form as Echo”.  
“But it’s not like everyone at Blackwell academy has time travel powers. I thought it was only me, and then Echo” I looked at Warren he was focused on Echo’s earpiece.  
“I can’t fix this thing, it’s too complicated” Warren said and pushed he tools of the table in frustration. He looked at me. “I’m sorry, I got no clue how to fix her earpiece”.  
“You the only one who can Warren. It’s your technology after all!” I said and smiled at her. 

I carefully sneaked out of Warrens dorm room again, getting back to my own dorm. I had left the earpiece with him and promised to see if Echo had any idea how to fix just small parts of it. And to find some extra tiny tools. Tools like those I used in Chloe’s room when my camera broke after Nathen attack me and Warren in the parking lot.  
After clearing the time line completely and set it back to normal me and Warren had gone to that movie he really wanted to see. Afterwards I had told him about everything, the time traveling. Chloe’s death. I trusted him with everything, and he hadn’t told anyone else, yet. It was amazing not having to worry about who to trust when I no longer had Chloe. And now it seemed Echo could use that too, but how did she even know that Warren knew at this point in the timeline? Who could she be?  
When I returned to my room walking in, Echo had bought a blanket and pillow from Kate. They where sitting in my room drinking tea when I walked in. The room were still mostly clean after me and Echo’s cleaning attempt the other day, even though the where a few cups on my nightstand.  
I sat down on the caught next to Kate. Echo was sitting in the armchair next to the lamp.  
“Hey Kate, I didn’t know you would stop by” I said with a cheerful tone while letting myself drop onto the coughs and grabbing myself a cup of tea before leaning back.  
“Oh I just, thought it might be a good idea to talk all this out. And then Echo came and… you know” Kate replayed, looking at me, then at Echo who looked at Kate then locked her eyes to the floor, or maybe her shoes. I couldn’t really see in the sparely light room. Her hands tightened around her own teacup, and she said nothing.  
“I think your right Kate, there are a tone of unanswered questions” I replayed looking back at Kate. As I did my eyes meet Kates, and I sensed the worry that filled her body. She knew just like I did, that something with Echo wasn’t right. Other than her ability to travel in time. And there where clearly something, if not the meds that cause Echo to be like this right now.  
“Echo, let’s start with the important part. Warren can not fix your earpiece without having the correct tools and a workplan” I said, looking at Echo whose hands tightened even more around the cup, before she finally replayed.  
“I… I’m not sure I can get a workplan… but, I’m quite sure… camera tools should be usually” she said, in a shaking, thin and very quiet voice. So quiet that it was almost impossible to here her replay without listening very carefully.  
“Camera tools are easy to get, I just need to grab mine from my locker tomorrow before school” I replied with a smile, hoping to sound reassuring. But judging on Echo’s face, she either didn’t care or else she didn’t know how to show it. The hour I had been gone; something had happened. Her cheerfully optimism was replaced by shame and sadness. Had Kate said something to hurt her? Or, was this yet another side effect of long-time travel periods. Like the fainting and the bloody nose? I didn’t ask.  
Kate returned to her room. I sneaked to bed, as I had class in the morning, but Echo went to the shower room to throw some cold water in her head. She wasn’t doing well it was clear to both me and Kate, but obviously herself too. I heard her sneak back in right before I drifted off to the sleep again.

The next morning, I had jumped in the shower and gotten cloth on as quietly I could. Echo had finally fallen asleep after laying awake for hours, and I didn’t want to wake her up. I had texted Kate to let her know I’d like to meet up with her and Warren after school at the small café downtown. They had both replied with a thumbs up. I also planned to bring Echo, but wasn’t so sure it would be a good idea to give her an option.  
Before I left my dorm room I had quickly packed my laptop from the small table next to the window, and of course watered Lisa the plant.  
Outside the dorm building that morning, everything where a little colder than usually. Maybe that was just my brain playing tricks. Or maybe it was the climate changes. It had rained for most of the night, if I hadn’t seen how Echo’s hair was dripping when she came last night, I would have known it based on the wet grass.  
When I got to the front building, a few of the girls where sitting at a lunch table chatting before class. I knew Chloe had played a boardgame there once, the morning she meet Rachel. She had talked about it like it was the most fun she had had since I left. It would make sense. Of course, in this timeline she hadn’t told me, she was dead. But when I saved her originally in the bathroom, I had gotten whole the story on our way to her place after our private pool party. It had been amazing. I missed her to terribly.  
“Good morning Max! Do you want to join our gaming session this morning?” the girls on the table had noticed Max’s staring and called out to her. She forced the memories away, and smiled.  
“I’m sorry girls, I can’t today. I need to grab my camera tools” I called back before quickly walking up the stairs and into the building.  
Warren was already waiting for me next to my locker when I came. I opened it grabbing my tools and throwing them awkwardly at Warren who didn’t caught them. The said a loud clunk as they hit the floor and Warren and I laughed.  
“I’m sure these will be perfect for repairing the earpiece” Warren said, while he got down to pick up the box from the floor, “she didn’t have any workplans, did she?” he looked at me with hope.  
“No, sadly not” I replayed. But our conversation where cut short at Black wells principal called my name from behind.  
“Max, do you get a moment. I’d like to talk to you in my office. Now” he said, when he got closer. I send Warren and look and followed Principal wells who lead the way.  
In his office I sat down on the small chair in front of his table while he himself sat down in his big leather chair. Pulling out a mail from the hospital from one of the student files cases he had laying open on the table.  
“Is everything okay?” I carefully asked with a confused look on my face. I already knew what this was about, but he couldn’t know the Echo was sleeping in my dorm room.  
“Last night Echo fainted in her apartment where you, her and Kate where cooking. You stayed with her for a while before leaving the hospital and returning to the dorm. Is that correct?” he asked kindly. He wasn’t even close to being as drunk he had been in the other timeline when Kate had… died.  
“Yes, that’s correct Principal Wells” I replied with a very serious tone. “Is Echo alright… did something happen to her?”.  
“The hospital called me when her parents failed to pick up. Echo disappeared last night. They got no clue now… but it’s important that we get every clue possible. We don’t want another case like Rachel or as Chloe” he said, looking down for a moment before meeting my eyes.  
“I haven’t seen her, sir. But I’ll let you know if I hear anything from her” I replied.  
“Thank you Max. and remember, if there’s anything we can help with in connecting to, the lose of Chloe we still offer counseling” he said before I left the room, starting my walk to class.

There where still a few minutes before class started, so I quickly pulled out my phone when I had left the office. A message ticked in from Warren “Found out how to fix the earpiece. Thanks to Stella”. I smiled. Good news right from the morning. Then I texted Echo to let her know she might have to run. I saw and officer walk into the office right as I left. They where clearly looking for her. Maybe even depending on finding her, after their errors with Rachel Amber.


	6. Run from time

It hadn’t been long since Max left when the message popped up on my phone with a loud “pling”. The police had been spotted on school ground, looking for no other than me. And now, I had to get away from here. As far away as I possibly could. If my earpiece hadn’t been broken, I would have pushed the touch sensitive area and asked them to pull me home. Back to my time. Back to Warren. My Warren. But I couldn’t. Yet I knew I couldn’t stay in the city for too long. It wouldn’t be long before they would find me if I did. I had to go.  
The backpack hung over the right shoulder as I carefully left the dorms. In a panic I had picked up one of Max’s grey hoodies and pulled it down over my head. And then I walked. I did my best to not look out of place. But I knew I didn’t seem right. My legs under me, felt shaky. My head was sore. And the blood was running from my nose. I couldn’t stay trapped in time for much longer. Not here. If I where lucky with my powers I might have been able to pull myself home. But it would be risky. And for it to really work I would need to ask Max for help. Until then I would hide at the junkyard right at the edge of the city. But getting to the junkyard with the police following my tracks where not going to be easy, even with my powers. I hadn’t used them without any extra technology since I was around Max’s age. And for a long time, I had depended on Warren in my ear when traveling, making sure not to destroy the timeline we carefully tried to build. Yet somehow, I had ended up in this position. Stuck in 2013, yet again having to depended only on my short-term time travel, and pictures.

When I finally got to the junkyard at the edge of the city, I grabbed a selfie with my phone. Over time I had learned to travel thought pictures on digital devices. It was a little trickier, but I didn’t have my instant camera with me, so I just had to make do with what I had. And a selfie would save my ass if the police discovered were, I hid.   
I carefully followed the train tracks behind the junkyard till I came to the little shelter some of the more rebellious kids had build over time. The last people who had used the hideout had been Rachel and Chloe. Their names were written in black marked on one of the brick walls. The place was filled with old pizza boxes, empty beer bottles, and chairs made from different materials and objects.  
On a small wooden shelf next to the door, was two bracelets carefully placed. Decorated with the letters R and C. It wouldn’t take much guessing to figure out who had left it. Weirdly enough both girls were now dead, killed, murdered. It was weird to think about it.  
I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts when a big, dark red, drop of blood fell and the wooden shelf. I took a panicked step back, just to lose my balance. I fall backwards hitting my head down into the floor. And then right there, walked Max in her gray hoodie, bag over her shoulder. She went inside the shelter picked up a beer bottle and looked around. Before writing herself on the “I was here” list on the brick wall and then she left. Followed by a few gun shots not to far away. Then the black marked on the wall with Max’s name faded and the silence filled the room. What was going on with me?

When Warren, Kate and Max got out of school they had shown up at the junkyard. They had originally planned on meeting on small café downtown, but due to a large amount of police in Arcady, they had just gone to grab some pizza and soda before meeting me in the hiding spot.  
Ever size I had, had yet another vision that seemed to be a part of Max’s memories I had hidden in a corner of the shelter hoping not to trigger yet another one. It hadn’t worked. Around the time when the train came driving by with loud noises, I had heard the voice of Chloe screaming. Begging Max to help her. She was stuck. I had covered my ears with my hands, and closed my eye tightly, for almost half an hour. Begging it to stop. But it didn’t. It kept replaying repeatedly, inside of my head. Until my powers had finally given up, and I had fainted yet again.  
But now I was just sitting there with Kate, Warren and Max, eating pizza and laughing. Max had seemed a little quiet when she first walked into the shelter, and I had a good idea about why. In the timeline with the tornado Max and Chloe had hung out there. Now that had been erased. Chloe was dead, and Max probably blamed herself.  
Warren had talked to Stella in the morning after getting Max’s tiny tolls and, was now sitting on the ground with the table in front of him trying to fix the earpiece. But so far without any luck. And before long Kate started the conversation, I regretted size last night.  
“Echo, it would still be nice to have an explanation to all of this” she started, looking at me directly, then at Max and Warren in hopes to get backup. They both nodded and moved their attention from the earpiece to me. I took a deep breath and locked my eyes to the floor.  
“I’m not sure were to even start” I mumbled. I didn’t have a good explanation that any of the people in the room would believe. And even if they did there were the risk and destroying the timeline in the process.  
“What about just telling us why you’re here in the first place” Max said, smiling carefully at me.  
“That is… kinda a long story” I said, looking up at them for just a second, before returning my eyes to the floor as my fingers started to fidget.  
“Max we can’t trust her if she wont even tell us anything” Kate then said in a sharp tone that didn’t fit Kate at all. Max looked at her and then back at me with eyes that begged for an explanation.  
“Alright…” I said with a quiet voice. “But it’s limited what information I can give you. There is a constant risk and breaking the timeline. It’s usually not a problem, but I also usually have an earpiece that can predict the outcome”.  
“I got that” an excited voice said, it was Warren. “It’s kinda like with Max. She used her powers and caused a tornado. You are from the future tho, so it would probably be even worse”. He said before returning to his work with the earpiece.  
“Let’s just say I’m here on an important mission. But now I’m stuck, and I desperately need to return home before the timeline catches up with me, and the symptoms get’s worse” I said.  
“What kind of symptoms” Kate asked, this time a little more like Kate usually would.  
“In the beginning, a bloody nose and fainting. As time goes seeing memories from your past self is common when triggered by places, conversations and smells. Like when we were cooking in my apartment yesterday” I replied. At least that was my theory. But I couldn’t be completely sure, yet.  
“Who is your past self, in this time” Max asked, looking at the blood that slowly had started to run down my face, out of my nose. Again.  
“I can’t tell you” I said.  
I could. Really there were no problem in telling them. It couldn’t affect the timeline that much. At least if your past self didn’t know about it. But if I said it out loud here and now, I could destroy so much. Truth was, that after Chloe had died, I had remade myself. I let my hair grow out, colored it in a red, almost orange color, ginger hair. My style had change from a hoodie and jeans, to more of a Rachel or Chloe type style. I had been inspired after borrowing some of Rachels cloths. That timeline had been erased a long time ago though. And when I did travel in time, where I could risk stumbling over myself, I would have green contact lenses and cover up my freckles with foundation. And then I had made up a name, that I used. Echo.  
The name was quite ironic. Echo, as when something is repeated. Echo, as the same thing over and over. Like when your scream in a cliff and it’s repeated back at you like forever because of the soundwaves bouncing around of the walls of the cliff’s. I was an Echo myself. An Echo of the girl sitting right there in front of me. An Echo of Max. Or one of many Max’s that where spread throughout the timeline. Max couldn’t know. Max absolute couldn’t know.  
That was also why Max’s time travel didn’t affect me. I was her. She was me. But that had to remain unspoken.  
I was pulled out of my thoughts by a set of fingers snapping in front of my face.  
“Earth to Echo, are you alright” Max looked at me with worried eyes. I smiled.  
“Yeah, sorry. I just lost track of my thoughts for a minute. I’m good really” I said, a little too fast. But they didn’t seem to notice the panic in my voice.  
“Max, I really need to get home to my own time. Without the earpiece it’s risky and hard, and I would probably need your help” I then said looking directly into Max’s eyes. She froze for a second, clearly thinking the same way I had done just seconds earlier. Then she opened her month.  
“If it’s that risky then we should probably wait a day or two more. See if Warren can fix the earpiece. If that doesn’t work, I’ll help you” she said. Before we all retuned to eat our pizza.

When they had left it was almost midnight. They had helped me make the place a little more airtight and they had brought a pillow, and a blanket for me so I could sleep on the old couches there. And even though it was a little cold, my body was so drained by the long-time travel time that I barely laid down before I was pulled into the darkness.


	7. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, Suicidal thoughts. And Character Death.

December 2015:

“Echo, can you hear us?” Warren called in a willed panic into the microphone connect to Echo’s earpiece. While franticly staring at the screen in front of him showing him Echo’s vitals and brainwaves.  
“Echo, please answer us!” Warren called again, panic growing in his voice. She had triggered a memory within memory. She was seeing bits and piece from her past-self life. She had gotten to close with Max the few weeks she had been in 2013. An alarm started to sound from the speakers, and Echo’s vitals and brain activity dropped significantly. Warren didn’t have a choice, he had to pull her back before it was too late. He quickly turned on safe mode and pulled her out. But it was too late. With big letters over the screen stood “Connection lost”. Echo was stuck in 2013. He failed. They failed. And now Echo, and rest of the timeline could break at any moment. Unless Echo played it smart and very carefully.

October 2013:

“Max plz help me! I’m stuck” Chloe screamed, desperately trying to pull her boot off her foot. Breaking the leather in an attempt of getting up and getting away. But she couldn’t. Sitting on the train tracks had been a bad idea, and now she would have to die just hours after Max had saved her in that bathroom. And it was all her fault.  
Max franticly ran to the old control house in an attempt of finding something to get Chloe free with. To cut the wires or to break the tracks. In the meantime, Chloe’s screams grew louder and louder, as the train got closer. Standing there trying to figure out which cable to cut, time ran out. The train ran past Max, and she had no choice but to hear the painful scream from Chloe after impact. Just to see her body, destroyed over large parts of the tracks.   
She ran to it, fell on her knees in the blood pool and then the darkness took over for just a second, before she was hiding behind the stales in the bathroom.  
“I’m so SICK of people trying to control me” Nathen screamed, pulled the gun and pushing Chloe into a corner.  
“Your going to get in hella mor trouble for this than drugs” Chloe said loudly, but clearly with a fear in her voice.  
“No one would ever even miss your “punk ass” would they?” Nathen called out.  
“Get the gun away from me psycho!” Chloe screamed, pushing Nathen back. And then the loud sound of a gun going off filled the bathroom. Chloe fell to the floor and Nathen threw the gun aside before running pit the room. Leaving Chloe and Max to themselves.  
Max jumped out from her hiding spot pulling Chloe close to her as she let the tears fall down her cheeks.   
Max quickly jumped up again the second she heard another gun getting fired. Suddenly the bathroom was gone and they’re in front of her was Chloe holding her hand to her chest screaming in pain and agony as she collapsed on the muddy ground under her feet. And before Max could do anything, it was like someone turned of the light.  
She felt a hard, gross sting to her neck, falling on her knees as she saw Chloe fall to the ground over Rachels grave. And then…

… Echo woke up. Sitting up in the couch with sweet dripping down her face. It was just a nightmare. A nightmare reminding her how she had failed Chloe. Chloe was supposed to live, not her. It was all her fault. Both as Max, and as Echo. Before she knew it tears started rolling down her face. What had she done? There had been a third choice that night when she stood there with the picture, next to the lighthouse, and next to the cliff. It didn’t need to be a question between Chloe and Arcadia Bay. All it had to be, was a choice between her own life, or her death. She could have jumped of the cliff. Leaving Chloe, Kate, Warren, Stella and everyone else behind to live their life to the fullest. That would have been the better option. Chloe didn’t have to die.  
Traveling back to 2013 had been in hopes of showing Max it was okay to grief over the lose of Chloe. In hopes Max would make different choices in the future. Different choice than Echo had. But maybe Echo had looked at it all wrong right from the start. Maybe she just had to go back to the night next to the lighthouse and sacrifice herself. Maybe that would have made everything better. Then she wouldn’t be stuck in 2013, and she wouldn’t be stuck grieving over her best friend – Her girlfriend – forever. If she ever got the chance to go home again, she would change her choice. She would gladly give herself up for Chloe and Arcadia Bay. But right now, that didn’t seem like an option. She was stuck… 

Well knowing she wasn’t going to get anymore sleep that night, Echo left the shelter. Walking through the junkyard reminded her of Chloe. But she couldn’t let herself think about that. Couldn’t let herself trigger yet another memory. She knew what would happen if she did. For each memory she trigged, her chance of getting home became slimmer and slimmer. She would before long, lose herself completely. That was the price when you time travel. That was the price it cost going into that machine. But what other choice had she been given.


	8. Stand by

Between corona and everything happening in my personal life, my creativity and mental health has died. I therefor choose to set this fanfiction on stand by till future notice. If I don't come back to the fan-fiction for one reason or another I'll post a chapter discriping my original idea for the story, and allow anyone willing to try and make their own version of it, do it with full creative freedom. I'm sorry...


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